19 Mar : The Union Cabinet met in New Delhi on Friday where-in several important decisions including clearing of amendment in the Anti Hijacking Act 1982 , Bill to create an Educational Tribunal, and creation of National Population Registrar were cleared by the Union Cabinet.
“The Union Cabinet today approved a proposal of the Civil Aviation Ministry to amend the Anti-Hijacking Act of 1982,” Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni told reporters after the cabinet meeting.
She said the UPA-I had constituted a Group of Minister (GoM) on the issue.
After UPA-II took over, a new GoM, headed by Home Minister P Chidambaram, was constituted which gave a final shape to the proposals. The GoM also included Law Minister M Veerappa Moily, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal and Civil Aviation Minister
Praful Patel.
Later, Chidambaram told reporters that the earlier “draft bill was clumsy. So the GoM decided to set it right”.
Sections 3 and 4 of the Act, which deal with the definition of hijack and punishment for hijacking are proposed to be amended to include death penalty. Currently, the law provides for life imprisonment and a fine as punishments for hijacking.
The GoM earlier examined the proposals to amend the existing law to include these aspects as well as the conspiracy to hijack an aircraft.
Eight per cent DA hike for central govt employees
Government increased the Dearness Allowance for central government employees and pensioners by eight percentage points to compensate for price rise.
The increase is in accordance with the accepted formula based on the recommendations of the Sixth Central Pay commission, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni told reporters after a meeting of the Union Cabinet.
The increase would be eight per cent over the existing rate of 27 per cent of basic pay or pension.
The additional instalment of Dearness Allowance would be released with effect from January this year.
The combined impact on the exchequer on account of both dearness allowance and dearness relief would be to the tune of Rs 6969.36 crore per annum and Rs 8131.20 crore in the financial year 2010-2011.
The DA revision is based on the consumer price index (CPI) for industrial workers, which has been showing a steep increase along with other indices of price rise.